Numb Love
by peiot
Summary: Actions speak louder than words, and his are coming in loud and clear. But she doesn't have to admit that.


Artemis was finally coming to the decision that the worst stage of hypothermia was the warmth was being sucked out of your core. From there it was all downhill of course, but at least the numbness provided a false sense of oblivion.

But it didn't stop the shivering.

She curled her slick wet arms even tighter around her midsection, hugging her knees to her chest, unable to suppress a violent tremble. Her thick, water soaked boots slipped for traction in the gooey mud she was seated in. Her long, wild mane of hair had already been filled with it, but quite frankly she was beyond caring that her entire body was coated. It might have actually been helpful to her insulation if the freezing rain wasn't still thundering down.

Again, her body shuddered uncontrollably. Clenching her teeth to keep them from rattling in her skull, she slowly raised her head from between her knees, blinking rapidly to clear her eyelashes of water. For a horrifyingly empty moment, her dazed mind couldn't comprehend the twelve foot, electric barbed wire fence that faced her.

_Why…why?_

A brief struggle with the black spot in her memory brought it all back in a rush, and she glowered bitterly at the barrier. Her captors had long since retreated into their cozy villain hideout, and were no doubt observing her and laughing at her plight via cameras. The only enemy left to glare at was the formidable barrier they had caged her with. That hadn't stopped her from trying, but she had been rewarded with severe burns and dizziness. Bad-ass heroine or not, she had no superpowers, no energy, no bow or arrows, and no way out of this cage.

Her spirits sank even lower with these thoughts, and she struggled to keep her dazed mind under control.

_Think, think, Artemis, think…_

The team. No, HER team. Her friends? Yes, they were her friends, weren't they?

The flicker of smile crossed her blue lips, before quickly turning down into a pout.

Where _were_ they?

She closed her eyes tightly, chest heaving in shallow, gasping breaths. _Remember, __remember, __think, __think!_

She…had been separated, hadn't she? A fleeting image of Robin slithering into the shadows, Megan's gentle touch setting up the link, Kaldur's smooth voice echoing in her mind…a sharp footstep behind her, a hand over her mouth, an excruciating pain in her head.

Artemis's chipped fingernails dug into the numb flesh of her arms. It still didn't answer where her team was!

_Please don't be caught, please don't be caught, please…come and save me._

Artemis was no damsel in distress. She was also no fool. She had experience and training beyond her years. But right now, it was all she could do stay conscious. She had lost feeling in most of her body, suffered what was probably severe head trauma, and her breaths were irregular; she had been far too wet and cold for far too long.

Shadows began to creep into her vision, urging her to fall into the tranquil bliss of sleep…Sleep would be nice. Sleep would take her away from here.

Her heavy eyelids began to droop, her tense crouch melted into a loose sprawl, slushy rainwater cascading over her open form.

_Wait…no._

No, this wasn't right…sleep wasn't right…sleep was…bad? She had to stay awake, didn't she. Well that sucked.

She flailed in the mud, fighting tooth and nail against the blackness.

_Get up, move! Don't give in!_

"Get up," she whispered, finally balancing precariously on her own two feet, one hand still planted in the loose mud for support. A torrent of rain and wind bawled her over the second she let go, and she found herself flat on her stomach with a mouthful of mud. Arms trembling, she pulled her face up, coughing violently.

"Woah-hoe dere!" someone spluttered. Two, mud covered feet arrived next to her head. Artemis struggled unstably backwards to observe the new-comer.

Before her stood a sopping boy in tight black with a mop of flaming red hair and a goofy grin Artemis could identify anywhere, no matter head trauma – Wally.

"Heh-hey!" he chortled, collapsing onto his knees beside her, "Blondie, I found you!"

Artemis stared back, mesmerized by his eyes. Normally, they were a stunningly green, but now, they were hugely dilated and very bloodshot.

"You are _seriously_ drugged," she rasped.

Wally stared blankly back, mouth a round 'o' of confusion.

"God, what did they do to you?" she groaned, exasperated. Of course, the only help she would receive would be terrifically and utterly useless.

Wally wobbled to one side.

"Farty Arty, you ain't looking so swell," he finally drawled.

"Neither do you, Wa - Kid."

She was cold, thoughts were coming slow, but she had enough brain power left to not let his secret identity slip.

Wally half-closed his eyes and threw himself into a seat in the mud beside her. He shook his head like a wet dog, sending droplets of water and sludge everywhere. Artemis didn't have the energy or will to block the attack.

"How'd you get caught?" she asked, only half hoping that he would be able to give her a coherent answer. His glazed eyes traced over her form for a second, seemingly distracted.

"Weeeelll, you disappeared. Like poof! Poooo-oooff. And Rob said, ya know, 'ohhh it's a ninja thang, don't worry,' but I knew _you_ didn't do the ninja thing! So I went to check up on you and BAM this guy conked me one good!" Wally gingerly lifted a hand to cradle the back of his head, "And then the next thing I knew he had a needle in my arm and I was out! But now I found you after all! I won!"

Artemis stared at him in wonder, deciphering his slurred speech slowly. When she finally got it, her heart twisted unexpectedly.

He had coming looking for her. After all their countless squabbles, (both playful banter and hurtful ranting), HE had been worried for her. And now he had been caught and drugged and who knows what else…for her.

"Kid, you stupid idiot," she whispered, biting down on her bottom lip. Deep down inside, she supposed she had known all along that they were friends, but this self sacrifice was still a true show of affection.

Wally frowned a little, obviously blinded to Artemis's worry by the extraordinary amount of drugs in his system.

"Nuh uh, you're the stupid one. You went and got kidnapped first!"

Artemis sighed, suddenly longing for the bliss of unconsciousness, despite its dangers. Anything to take her away from this mess. In these conditions, she gave them an hour, tops, before they would be in need of serious medical attention, yet all they could do was hunker down and hope the rest of the team clued in, and soon.

Wally stared intently into nothing, mouth slack. Cascades of water dripped from his fire engine red hair and into his eyes, but he paid no heed. Granted, Artemis had always considered him quite brainless, but this was a new low - he had sacrificed the mission, even himself, and a still failed.

_For__you__…_whispered an annoying voice in the back of her mind. Guilt clawed at her stomach.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, Baywatch," Artemis growled, hating herself for the crack in her voice. Wally had no response.

"If your brain gets permanently hurt, I'm - I'm never going to forgive you," she finished in a muted whimper.

Wally still didn't resurface. Artemis' concern was rapidly growing. She never thought she see the day when she wished Wally would quip a cheesy one liner at her, but right now, she couldn't imagine anything more comforting than his obnoxious immaturity.

"Kid Flash," she breathed, scooting across the few feet that separated them. Wally finally blinked and looked down, his large exhale creating a little cloud of fog before being ripped apart by the brutal rain.

"Artemis…" he whispered in a dazed voice, his bloodshot eyes staring through to her soul.

Later, Artemis would blame the cold. She would never admit to having so desperately needed comfort as to snuggle up with the one and only Wally West, aka Kid Irresponsibility.

She wasn't possibly terrified for him. No, she only needed his speedster body heat. Of course, she didn't fight away a sob as he timidly draped his arm across her quaking shoulders. She most certainly didn't lean her head against his, and murmur into his neck that everything would be all right. Her heart didn't break when he only breathed 'Beautiful' in response.

After they were finally rescued by Superboy, Artemis insisted that Wally be taken care of first because she was strong and he wasn't. Not because she couldn't bare to see him so lifeless. And when he made a full recovery, she slapped him upside the head for his stupidity, and not because she was so relived she could have cried.

Days later, when Wally finally returned to duty and complained of confusing and incomplete memories, Artemis could not have possibly had any reason to stutter uncertainly that he had only made a babbling fool of himself.

Because who was Robin to say she was a bad liar?

* * *

><p>NaNoWriMo has the strange effect of delivering boundless plot bunnies. For other projects. -_-;<p>

A moment of inspiration struck me while watching T.A.T.U's "All the Things She Said" music video. It just felt so Spitfire! Side affect of heavy shipping...

Hope you enjoyed! Hope it made sense, I don't know anymore, ha.

Please Review! :)


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